Biological waste management systems

Abstract

A waste management system is provided herein. The waste management system may include an accumulator tank, one or more digester tanks, and an air supply. The accumulator tank may define an accumulation chamber to receive a biologic waste or a decomposition agent. The one or more digester tanks may be spaced apart from the accumulator tank. Each digester tank may define a discrete digestion chamber in fluid communication with the accumulation chamber to selectively receive a slurry mixture comprising the biologic waste and the decomposition agent. The air supply may be in fluid communication with the digester tanks to selectively provide an aerating gas flow through a portion of the slurry mixture within one or more of the digestion chambers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A waste management system comprising:
 an accumulator tank defining an accumulation chamber to receive a biologic waste or a decomposition agent;   a water supply in fluid communication with the accumulator tank to provide a water flow to the accumulation chamber;   a digester tank spaced apart from the accumulator tank, the digester tank defining a digestion chamber in fluid communication with the accumulation chamber to receive a slurry mixture comprising the biologic waste and the decomposition agent; and   an air supply in fluid communication with the digester tank to selectively provide an aerating gas flow through the slurry mixture within the digestion chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The waste management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of digester tanks, each digester tank defining a discrete digestion chamber in mutually-parallel fluid communication with the accumulation chamber to selectively receive a portion of the slurry mixture, wherein the digester tank is one of the plurality of digester tanks. 
     
     
         3 . The waste management system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of digester tanks comprises between six and thirty parallel digester tanks. 
     
     
         4 . The waste management system of  claim 2 , further comprising a filter tank defining a filtration chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of digester tanks, wherein the filtration chamber defines a chamber volume at least twice as large as a chamber volume defined by one of the plurality of digester tanks. 
     
     
         5 . The waste management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter tank defining a filtration chamber in fluid communication with the digester tank, the filter tank comprising a filtration medium enclosed within the filtration chamber. 
     
     
         6 . The waste management system of  claim 5 , further comprising a return line extending in fluid communication between the filtration chamber and the accumulation chamber to guide at least a portion of the digested decomposition agent from the filtration chamber to the accumulation chamber. 
     
     
         7 . The waste management system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a grinder pump disposed in fluid communication between the accumulation chamber and the digestion chamber; and   a controller operably coupled to the grinder pump and the water supply to direct the water flow based on a current signal received from the grinder pump.   
     
     
         8 . The waste management system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a scale mounted to the accumulator tank to detect a mass therein; and   a controller operably coupled to the scale and the water supply to direct the water flow based on a mass signal received from the scale.   
     
     
         9 . The waste management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a pH sensor mounted within the digestion chamber to detect a pH of the slurry mixture therein. 
     
     
         10 . The waste management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fluid sensor mounted to the digester tank to detect a volume of the slurry mixture therein. 
     
     
         11 . A waste management system comprising:
 an accumulator tank defining an accumulation chamber to receive a biologic waste or a decomposition agent;   a plurality of digester tanks spaced apart from the accumulator tank, each digester tank defining a discrete digestion chamber in fluid communication with the accumulation chamber to selectively receive a slurry mixture comprising the biologic waste and the decomposition agent; and   an air supply in fluid communication with the digester tanks to selectively provide an aerating gas flow through a portion of the slurry mixture within one or more of the digestion chambers.   
     
     
         12 . The waste management system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of digester tanks comprises between six and thirty parallel digester tanks. 
     
     
         13 . The waste management system of  claim 11 , further comprising a filter tank defining a filtration chamber in fluid communication with the plurality of digester tanks, wherein the filter tank comprises a filtration medium enclosed within the filtration chamber. 
     
     
         14 . The waste management system of  claim 13 , wherein the filtration chamber defines a chamber volume at least twice as large as a chamber volume defined by one of the plurality of digester tanks. 
     
     
         15 . The waste management system of  claim 13 , return line extending in fluid communication between the filtration chamber and the accumulation chamber to guide at least a portion of the decomposition agent from the filtration chamber to the accumulation chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The waste management system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a grinder pump disposed in fluid communication between the accumulation chamber and the digestion chamber.   
     
     
         17 . The waste management system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a water supply in fluid communication with the accumulator tank to provide a water flow to the accumulation chamber; and   a controller operably coupled to the grinder pump and the water supply to direct the water flow based on a current signal received from the grinder pump.   
     
     
         18 . The waste management system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a water supply in fluid communication with the accumulator tank to provide a water flow to the accumulation chamber;   a scale mounted to the accumulator tank to detect a mass therein; and   a controller operably coupled to the scale and the water supply to direct the water flow based on a mass signal received from the scale.   
     
     
         19 . The waste management system of  claim 11 , further comprising a pH sensor mounted within the digestion chamber to detect a pH of the slurry mixture therein. 
     
     
         20 . The waste management system of  claim 11 , further comprising a fluid sensor mounted to the digester tank to detect a volume of the slurry mixture therein.